Why Carbon Fiber?

I like my scales:

  • G10

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Micarta

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Zytel

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Wood

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Carbon Fiber

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Stag/Bone

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Something more exotic. (Erotic?)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .
fulloflead

fulloflead

Joined
May 3, 2002
Messages
6,192
Why is everyone so nuts over Carbon Fiber. I once had a SIFU with a Carbon Fiber handle and I thought it looked like a shiney plastic piece of POOP!

Same with the CF 1911 grips. It looks like Chinese garbage. Does all carbon fiber have that clear look to it?

Ever seen trinkets in a souvenir shop where they freeze a bug or something inside of clear plastic and make a paper weight out of it? THAT's what it reminds me of!

I'm just pissed because I'm looking for a deal on a LCC and there are carbon fiber ones all over the place but no good prices on a nice micarta one. (Granted, I've never SEEN the carbon fiber one up close. Maybe it's a little better; I don't know.)

I'm done ranting. Your turn.
 
Carbon Fiber can look quite different depending on how it is finished. I believe the CF on the LCC looks considerably different than the CF used on the Sifu.
 
CF originally saw use in racing applications because it is strong and light. Because CF parts are expensive to produce (it is formed in a hot vacuum) it was too expensive for consumer applications until pretty recently. Now you see CF on production motorcycles and on knives.

When you can replace dozens of small metal parts with CF parts, you can see a significant weight reduction on a car or motorcycle, but for knives, the weight of the handle slabs isn't really critical, since the weight of the slabs is usually only a small fraction of the weight of the blade. Therefore, the only justification for CF is the appearance. If this seems bogus, don't forget that Micarta was originally developed by Westinghouse to be an electrical insulating material, and only later did it become the nicest synthetic knife handle material known to man.

I have a Shane Sibert fighter, a William Henry Kestrel and an RW Clark utility knife with CF handles. I think it looks good on all of these blades, because they all have "modern" styling. To me, it would look wrong on a "traditional" knife design, but knifemakers seem to have enough sense to only use CF when it fits the style of the blade.

As far as durability, grippiness, or any other performance factor, CF really has no advantage over Micarta or G-10. Although I think that CF has an interesting and attractive appearance when you look at it closely, I'm not sure how well the appearance will hold up when it gets a lot of little scratches on it.

miguel
 
Originally posted by shootist16
Carbon Fiber can look quite different depending on how it is finished. I believe the CF on the LCC looks considerably different than the CF used on the Sifu.
Click to expand...

Seriously?
So did I get a bad first impression with the plastic-looking SIFU and 1911 grips?
WHAT other kinds of finishes? Can someone post some pictures? Anyone got a close up of maybe a cf finish I'd like? How about a GOOD photo of the CF on the Microtech LCC? I'll cruise over to the MT forums and bug them too, but they're a little... how should I say... when they drink their tea they hold their pinkys out on the Microtech forums. So, PLEASE, post me some good cf photos.

Also, thanks miguel_SF for your thorough input as well as everyone else.
 
Check those out:

ba01907.jpg

by Brian Tighe (pic from bladeart)


KingTitG10.jpg

by Allen Elishewitz (pic from his homepage)


Or check my thread here.
 
I just got the LCC D/A in the mail today. It has been a good day. The carbon fiber that Microtech uses is not glossy. It is flat slightly textured not slick at all. The Microtech web site says that is a Kevlar CF. It looks very appropriate on this knife. Especially next to the titanium bolsters and the unique blade shape. This is a sweet knife.

In my research Tadgear has them with the green mircata and the price does not seem to bad.

I can try to take a few photos with some natural light tomorrow.
 
I used to wonder what the big hulabaloo about carbon fiber was all about, as I really didn't like it. I didn't like it, not because I had seen any firsthand, no, I didn't like it because the pictures made it look sorta cheap and plastic looking.......sorta like what you though FOL. Once I got a couple of knives with this handle material, and I think the LCC was the first I gained a new appreciation for it. The cf on the LCC is a more matte finished material and looks great.

Btw, I know have 6 custom folders handled in this material! Five of these are J.W. Smith folders and 1 Mike Obenauf folder.
 
It's hard to tell how CF looks in pictures.

The LCC uses a matte finish on the CF to mute it and it looks very cool, you just see the weave pattern and it doesn't look like it's under glass.

The REKAT you had was not really CF, what they used was a single layer of CF laminated to G-10, so it's a bad comparison.

The knives I have that came polished I just rub them out with some 500 grit paper to take the gloss off of them. Also, very few custom makers high polish their cf.

BTW FOL, I found a folder with a bent up clip like you were looking for, the Outdoor Edge Paragee. Damn things clip is bent at about an 80 degree angle to the handle....
 
Originally posted by cpirtle
It's hard to tell how CF looks in pictures.

The LCC uses a matte finish on the CF to mute it and it looks very cool, you just see the weave pattern and it doesn't look like it's under glass.

The REKAT you had was not really CF, what they used was a single layer of CF laminated to G-10, so it's a bad comparison.

The knives I have that came polished I just rub them out with some 500 grit paper to take the gloss off of them. Also, very few custom makers high polish their cf.
Click to expand...

All you guys RULE! Looks like I got some bad examples!
I might have to just get a cf LCC to check out what CF is SUPPOSED to look like.

WORST CASE, I trade it for a Micarta one. Should be no problem since the CF ones are more expensive.



BTW FOL, I found a folder with a bent up clip like you were looking for, the Outdoor Edge Paragee. Damn things clip is bent at about an 80 degree angle to the handle....
[/B]
Click to expand...


HUH? Where did you get that? I'm confused!
I sold/traded an Outdoor Edge recently. I really don't know what you're talking about. I didn't bend the clip on it, though. I just left it NIB.
We're confused. What did you read?
 
You had a Magna though, this is the Paragee..

I'm basing my statement off of this thread.

Good luck with the LCC, you can't go wrong!
 
Yup, I bend my clips. (Usually)

I had a Magna but I didn't like it and I sold it or traded it.

I don't bend the clips on my Microtech, though. I don't think they need it.
Actually, I like their position and the way they draw easily compared to some others.
 
I have three; a William Henry Lancet, a Benchmade 941D2CF and an Elishewitz persian framelock with Ti scales and carbon fiber inserts.

To me, carbon fiber is not as dead as most synthetics. It is not only incredibly light, but has a hardwood sort of resonance, unlike G10 or Micarta which seem totally inert in the hand. I find CF to feel much more organic than Aluminum as well. All metal handles tend to be colder than wood, stag or CF IMHO.

Good CF also has a sort of 3D pattern that does not come across well in photos. It's more than a nice grey checkerboard.

Funny thing about the LCC. I've seen several of them and as much as i like carbon, it's what put me off buying an LCC. Now if I found one in MOP for a good price.....

Of my carbon fiber knives, the Benchmade 941D2CF is the only one I carry regurlarly (like most everyday) and so far after a couple months, so far no noticeable wear. We'll see how it holds up long term. Did I mention that it's an awesome knife?

jmx
 
My only expereince with cf is the bm690. I love the look and the feel of cf on this knife. The weave patterns gave it a unique look. My favourite is g-10 with cf at second.Although I do not own a cf knife, it is next on my list. My next Bm purchase is going to be the 770 osborne. The weave pattern combined with the axis lock has me salivating. I can't wait to buy this beauty. Its this or the CF police for me.The one negative against Carbon Fiber is on a bigger knife, the lite weight of cf would make the knife blade heavy.


Although I love g-10, I have noticed on my spyderco military, the g-10 scales have become stained. There are areas on the scales that seem to have a permenat wet look to them. Has anyone had the same problem with g-10?
 
Actually IMO any of those materials have their place. Zytel is good in less expensive knives but I prefer G-10, carbon fiber or micarta. Wood, antler and bone are mostly used in more traditional type knives and I'm more into tactical knives.

As far as the bug thing goes, it would be interesting to see a knife with that type of handle.:D
 
hmmm, i very much prefer the CF handles on the MT LCC's over the micarta, myself. diff strokes for diff folks i guess.......and i have had both the CF and micarta LCC, so i speak from experience (i guess lol)

i like G10 i guess the best for regular knives (whatever that is) and i will never buy another zytel handled knife UNLESS it has a LOT going for it and the ONLY con is the zytel handle. looks cheap to me, sure i know it works fine, but i dont like it myself.......G10 looks 100X better and cant be that much more $$.


greg
 
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